Hate crime surges on UK railways post-Brexit: report

The number of racially motivated hate crimes reported on British public transport soared in the two weeks following Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, new figures show, the Guardian reported.

In the fortnight after the EU referendum, British Transport Police (BTP) recorded 119 allegations of hate crime, up 57 percent from the two weeks prior, and 78 percent higher than the same period last year.

Dozens of people allegedly made racist comments towards railway passengers or staff, according to reports by the BTP obtained by the Press Association. There were three alleged cases of racially or religiously aggravated bodily harm.

The railways trend follows a general increase in the number of hate crimes reported in the U.K.

In the month after the Brexit vote, 6,000 hate crimes were reported to police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Guardian wrote, up by a third compared to equivalent statistics from last year.